Where to find the best ice cream

As days get colder and shorter, what better way to savour the last weeks of summer than by slamming copious amounts of ice cream down your
throat? But even the simplest pleasures can lead to confusion in
today’s consumer culture—we have a slew of frozen treats to choose
from and all are not created equal. Here are the cold facts:

Gelato

Many prefer gelato over ice cream—it’s better-tasting and better
for you. Unlike ice cream, gelato is made with milk, not cream. It also
has a lower air content, yielding a denser, creamier-tasting treat.

As for gelato producers, Fox Hill Farm in the Annapolis
Valley takes the cake (available at the Halifax Farmers’ Market,
$7.50 for 500 ml.). It’s the freshest gelato you’re going to get. The
grass-to-gelato transformation occurs in less than 24 hours, as a pipe
funnels fresh milk from the barn to the small factory. Renowned for its
cheese, the Rand family started making gelato two years ago, with
guidance from an Italian gelato master. Their intense liquorice gelato
inspires speechlessness.

Those with adventurous palettes can find unusual tastes at Dio
Mio. The subtly flavoured lavender gelato stands out, as does the
chunky candied ginger ($2.75). Many of Dio Mio’s ingredients are
local—the lavender comes from Maitland’s Riverview Herbs. (And they
may be joining up with Propeller Brewery to make root beer gelato.)

If it is swanky presentation and atmosphere you’re after, try
Maurizio Bertossi’s Gelato A Mano (available at Il Mercato on
Spring Garden Road and Ristorante a Mano at Bishop’s Landing).
Bertossi improves upon many conventional ice cream flavours. His
velvety rum raisin tastes decadently buttery and melts in your mouth
($3).

Ice Cream

Ice cream bashing aside, gorging on the stuff is a sinful pleasure
not worth giving up. It’s also a sensible choice when you need
something firmer than gelato to eat between two cookies. Dee
Dee‘s, whose products are all free of preservatives and artificial
flavours, makes the best ice cream in Halifax, hands down, and takes
ice cream sandwiches to the next level of heaven. The mint-brownie
sandwich consists of a perfectly gooey brownie flanking a refreshing
mint ice cream centre ($3.50). You can find Dee Dee’s products in
Peggys Cove and at locations across Halifax, including Local
Source, Home Grown Organic and the Farmers’ Market. [Editor’s note: see correction below.]

Sushi restaurants are a great place to find exotic flavours, such as
green tea, mango and black sesame (available “fried” for $6 at
Hamachi Kita in the Hydrostone). On a budget? Head to Ko
Doraku in Spring Garden Place for black sesame or green tea ice
cream at half that price.

Forced to choose between the big guys, it’s safe to say
Scotsburn‘s ice cream tastes the least processed. It has
resisted the national trend of moving toward an oil base and use
recognizable ingredients like cream and butter. The company has also
expanded its research team: A group of certified specialists develops
new flavours in a Truro laboratory, including this summer’s Dark
Chocolate Shiver, which will wind up in our mouths after lots of
rigamarole and presentations to various committees.

Sorbet

Sorbet is the only salvation for the growing numbers of poor souls
allergic to milk (or those morally upstanding individuals who oppose it
for ethical reasons).

While Pete’s Frootique has some yummy gelato flavours, their
sorbets wins the gold. With a glut of fruits to choose from in-store,
staff often experiment with new flavours. The tangy raspberry sorbet
($3) provides instant gratification, giving taste-buds a swift kick.
The downside is that the berries aren’t local.

Dio Mio fills that niche, with mouth-watering flavours made from
seasonal Scotian berries.

Correction, August 21: At present, Dee-dee’s ice cream can be purchased at Local Source, the Farmer’s Market, Mariposa (in Tantallon), Local Jo’s Cafe, The Grainery and in Peggy’s Cove. Homegrown Organic does not stock Dee-dee’s.

This article appears in Aug 13-19, 2009.